Euroclear

Euroclear SA/NV is a Belgium-based financial market infrastructure that operates the Euroclear system, a multinational central securities depository (CSD) and securities settlement system. It provides post-trade services including settlement of domestic and cross-border securities in central-bank money, custody and safekeeping, corporate actions processing, and collateral management. Through its network of domestic and international clients—banks, broker-dealers, asset managers and other market participants—Euroclear links markets worldwide, enabling efficient and safe settlement of a wide range of asset classes such as bonds, equities, government securities and funds.

The Euroclear Group comprises Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. and a network of subsidiary and regional entities that operate across Europe and beyond. The group is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, and operates as a global post-trade provider with a focus on standardizing and simplifying cross-border settlement and custody.

History and development trace back to 1968, when a consortium of major European banks established a cooperative framework to modernize cross-border post-trade settlement. Over time, Euroclear expanded its scope to cover additional markets and asset classes through the creation of national and regional subsidiaries and by enhancing services such as collateral management and securities lending.

Regulation and market role: Euroclear is a systemically important financial market infrastructure overseen under European Union and national authorities, including the National Bank of Belgium. It participates in the broader European post-trade ecosystem, including interoperability with the Eurosystem’s TARGET2-Securities platform to support settlement in central bank money and to improve cross-border settlement efficiency.

Services and risk management: In addition to settlement and custody, Euroclear offers collateral management, triparty repurchase (repo) services, and related data and reporting services. The organization emphasizes robust risk controls, settlement finality, and operational resilience to reduce counterparty risk in securities transactions.